'The Choteau Acantha,' Choteau, MT
2 June 1921, page 1 & 4 (edited):
Mrs. Nat Collins, the first white woman to settle in the Teton valley, and a prominent figure among the pioneers of Montana and the Northwest, died in Choteau, Saturday forenoon, May 28th, of paralysis, following a long period of ill health. While her passing was not unexpected by intimate friends, the end came rather suddenly after a few days of illness, though for some years Mrs. Collins had been far from well. A daughter, Mrs. Frank Salmond, is the only surviving member of the family, Mr. Collins having died some ten years ago. Mrs. H. L. Halladay, a niece of the deceased, and Mr. Fred Perry, a nephew, are the only relatives residing in this community. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon from the Methodist church, with Rev. H. T. Strong in charge, and interment was made in Choteau cemetery beside the grave of Mr. Collins. Messrs. J. W. Ward, A. C. Burbank, E. J. Osgood, George F. Miller, J. R. Young and Henry Radcliffe, all old neighbors of the Belleview country, acted as pall bearers. Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Sawyer, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attended the funeral, Mrs. Sawyer being a niece of the deceased. The death of Mrs. Collins removes from the community a leading representative of the class of men and women who have helped to make the West what it is. The number of real pioneers is small and fast decreasing. Mrs. Collins had the distinction of being the first white woman to settle in the Teton valley, and her daughter was the first white child to be born in Choteau. Practically her whole life was spent on the frontier. Born in 1844, at Rockford, Illinois, she moved with her parents to the territory which now makes up the state of Iowa, when she was ten years old. In a short time her father moved on to Pike's Peak country with those hardy adventurers who went there in quest of gold. The journey required six weeks from the Platte River to what is now Denver, then but a small settlement of a few cabins. With her father she went a little later to the Mexican country, attracted by reports of rich gold fields. Returning to Denver, she lost her father, and a little later her mother, and then made her home with her brothers. In all, she made twelve trips between the Missouri river and Rocky Mountain points. The last of these brought her by way of the Bozeman cut-off into Montana (1863). For a while she was at Virginia City and Bannack and later to Last Chance, or Helena, as it was called after it became a settled community. In 1874, she was married to Mr. Nat Collins, who was engaged in mining, but who later went into the livestock business and in 1884 came to the Teton valley, living for many years on Willow Creek, about twenty miles west of Choteau. Mrs. Collins was herself actively engaged in raising and marketing livestock and was sometimes known as the Montana Cattle Queen. Retiring later from the livestock business, Mr. and Mrs. Collins moved to Choteau and from this point Mrs. Collins engaged in mining for a while in the Lake McDonald country. When the rush for the Alaska fields came, Mrs. Collins joined it and made a trip to that country. In later years, she spent a part of her winters in California, after the death of Mr. Collins. Her life is the record of great energy and great ambition, a record of the indomitable will of the true pioneer. The events and places of which she was a part are full of interest for the student of Montana history in particular. She knew the early people by living among and by association with them in the Society of Montana Pioneers, of which she was a prominent member. Virginia City, Last Chance, Bannack, the military forts like Fort Reno and Fort Smith, she saw and knew. The prominent men and women among the pioneers were her neighbors and her friends. The stirring events in connection with the Vigilantes were not matters of history with her, but rather matters of direct knowledge and experience. Adventure and hardship held a large place in her life. She knew and understood the Indians and in her earlier life was among them almost daily. In short, Elizabeth Smith, lived the life of a pioneer with all its struggle and hardship and helped make possible the easier conditions which we enjoy today. Her life was a long one, and eventful. She lived fully and found life in many ways worth while, but she was not unwilling, when her time came, to pass on to the next great frontier, beyond the Divide. She was actively interested in the churches of Choteau, in its schools and in community interests in general. While her health permitted, she took part in all these things, speaking and working and doing much to promote them.
•Elizabeth M. Smith married Nathaniel Collins in Sieben, Lewis and Clark County, Montana Territory on December 31, 1874. She was the daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Wood) Smith.
2 June 1921, page 1 & 4 (edited):
Mrs. Nat Collins, the first white woman to settle in the Teton valley, and a prominent figure among the pioneers of Montana and the Northwest, died in Choteau, Saturday forenoon, May 28th, of paralysis, following a long period of ill health. While her passing was not unexpected by intimate friends, the end came rather suddenly after a few days of illness, though for some years Mrs. Collins had been far from well. A daughter, Mrs. Frank Salmond, is the only surviving member of the family, Mr. Collins having died some ten years ago. Mrs. H. L. Halladay, a niece of the deceased, and Mr. Fred Perry, a nephew, are the only relatives residing in this community. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon from the Methodist church, with Rev. H. T. Strong in charge, and interment was made in Choteau cemetery beside the grave of Mr. Collins. Messrs. J. W. Ward, A. C. Burbank, E. J. Osgood, George F. Miller, J. R. Young and Henry Radcliffe, all old neighbors of the Belleview country, acted as pall bearers. Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Sawyer, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attended the funeral, Mrs. Sawyer being a niece of the deceased. The death of Mrs. Collins removes from the community a leading representative of the class of men and women who have helped to make the West what it is. The number of real pioneers is small and fast decreasing. Mrs. Collins had the distinction of being the first white woman to settle in the Teton valley, and her daughter was the first white child to be born in Choteau. Practically her whole life was spent on the frontier. Born in 1844, at Rockford, Illinois, she moved with her parents to the territory which now makes up the state of Iowa, when she was ten years old. In a short time her father moved on to Pike's Peak country with those hardy adventurers who went there in quest of gold. The journey required six weeks from the Platte River to what is now Denver, then but a small settlement of a few cabins. With her father she went a little later to the Mexican country, attracted by reports of rich gold fields. Returning to Denver, she lost her father, and a little later her mother, and then made her home with her brothers. In all, she made twelve trips between the Missouri river and Rocky Mountain points. The last of these brought her by way of the Bozeman cut-off into Montana (1863). For a while she was at Virginia City and Bannack and later to Last Chance, or Helena, as it was called after it became a settled community. In 1874, she was married to Mr. Nat Collins, who was engaged in mining, but who later went into the livestock business and in 1884 came to the Teton valley, living for many years on Willow Creek, about twenty miles west of Choteau. Mrs. Collins was herself actively engaged in raising and marketing livestock and was sometimes known as the Montana Cattle Queen. Retiring later from the livestock business, Mr. and Mrs. Collins moved to Choteau and from this point Mrs. Collins engaged in mining for a while in the Lake McDonald country. When the rush for the Alaska fields came, Mrs. Collins joined it and made a trip to that country. In later years, she spent a part of her winters in California, after the death of Mr. Collins. Her life is the record of great energy and great ambition, a record of the indomitable will of the true pioneer. The events and places of which she was a part are full of interest for the student of Montana history in particular. She knew the early people by living among and by association with them in the Society of Montana Pioneers, of which she was a prominent member. Virginia City, Last Chance, Bannack, the military forts like Fort Reno and Fort Smith, she saw and knew. The prominent men and women among the pioneers were her neighbors and her friends. The stirring events in connection with the Vigilantes were not matters of history with her, but rather matters of direct knowledge and experience. Adventure and hardship held a large place in her life. She knew and understood the Indians and in her earlier life was among them almost daily. In short, Elizabeth Smith, lived the life of a pioneer with all its struggle and hardship and helped make possible the easier conditions which we enjoy today. Her life was a long one, and eventful. She lived fully and found life in many ways worth while, but she was not unwilling, when her time came, to pass on to the next great frontier, beyond the Divide. She was actively interested in the churches of Choteau, in its schools and in community interests in general. While her health permitted, she took part in all these things, speaking and working and doing much to promote them.
•Elizabeth M. Smith married Nathaniel Collins in Sieben, Lewis and Clark County, Montana Territory on December 31, 1874. She was the daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Wood) Smith.
'The Choteau Acantha,' Choteau, MT
2 June 1921, page 1 & 4 (edited):
Mrs. Nat Collins, the first white woman to settle in the Teton valley, and a prominent figure among the pioneers of Montana and the Northwest, died in Choteau, Saturday forenoon, May 28th, of paralysis, following a long period of ill health. While her passing was not unexpected by intimate friends, the end came rather suddenly after a few days of illness, though for some years Mrs. Collins had been far from well. A daughter, Mrs. Frank Salmond, is the only surviving member of the family, Mr. Collins having died some ten years ago. Mrs. H. L. Halladay, a niece of the deceased, and Mr. Fred Perry, a nephew, are the only relatives residing in this community. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon from the Methodist church, with Rev. H. T. Strong in charge, and interment was made in Choteau cemetery beside the grave of Mr. Collins. Messrs. J. W. Ward, A. C. Burbank, E. J. Osgood, George F. Miller, J. R. Young and Henry Radcliffe, all old neighbors of the Belleview country, acted as pall bearers. Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Sawyer, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attended the funeral, Mrs. Sawyer being a niece of the deceased. The death of Mrs. Collins removes from the community a leading representative of the class of men and women who have helped to make the West what it is. The number of real pioneers is small and fast decreasing. Mrs. Collins had the distinction of being the first white woman to settle in the Teton valley, and her daughter was the first white child to be born in Choteau. Practically her whole life was spent on the frontier. Born in 1844, at Rockford, Illinois, she moved with her parents to the territory which now makes up the state of Iowa, when she was ten years old. In a short time her father moved on to Pike's Peak country with those hardy adventurers who went there in quest of gold. The journey required six weeks from the Platte River to what is now Denver, then but a small settlement of a few cabins. With her father she went a little later to the Mexican country, attracted by reports of rich gold fields. Returning to Denver, she lost her father, and a little later her mother, and then made her home with her brothers. In all, she made twelve trips between the Missouri river and Rocky Mountain points. The last of these brought her by way of the Bozeman cut-off into Montana (1863). For a while she was at Virginia City and Bannack and later to Last Chance, or Helena, as it was called after it became a settled community. In 1874, she was married to Mr. Nat Collins, who was engaged in mining, but who later went into the livestock business and in 1884 came to the Teton valley, living for many years on Willow Creek, about twenty miles west of Choteau. Mrs. Collins was herself actively engaged in raising and marketing livestock and was sometimes known as the Montana Cattle Queen. Retiring later from the livestock business, Mr. and Mrs. Collins moved to Choteau and from this point Mrs. Collins engaged in mining for a while in the Lake McDonald country. When the rush for the Alaska fields came, Mrs. Collins joined it and made a trip to that country. In later years, she spent a part of her winters in California, after the death of Mr. Collins. Her life is the record of great energy and great ambition, a record of the indomitable will of the true pioneer. The events and places of which she was a part are full of interest for the student of Montana history in particular. She knew the early people by living among and by association with them in the Society of Montana Pioneers, of which she was a prominent member. Virginia City, Last Chance, Bannack, the military forts like Fort Reno and Fort Smith, she saw and knew. The prominent men and women among the pioneers were her neighbors and her friends. The stirring events in connection with the Vigilantes were not matters of history with her, but rather matters of direct knowledge and experience. Adventure and hardship held a large place in her life. She knew and understood the Indians and in her earlier life was among them almost daily. In short, Elizabeth Smith, lived the life of a pioneer with all its struggle and hardship and helped make possible the easier conditions which we enjoy today. Her life was a long one, and eventful. She lived fully and found life in many ways worth while, but she was not unwilling, when her time came, to pass on to the next great frontier, beyond the Divide. She was actively interested in the churches of Choteau, in its schools and in community interests in general. While her health permitted, she took part in all these things, speaking and working and doing much to promote them.
•Elizabeth M. Smith married Nathaniel Collins in Sieben, Lewis and Clark County, Montana Territory on December 31, 1874. She was the daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Wood) Smith.
2 June 1921, page 1 & 4 (edited):
Mrs. Nat Collins, the first white woman to settle in the Teton valley, and a prominent figure among the pioneers of Montana and the Northwest, died in Choteau, Saturday forenoon, May 28th, of paralysis, following a long period of ill health. While her passing was not unexpected by intimate friends, the end came rather suddenly after a few days of illness, though for some years Mrs. Collins had been far from well. A daughter, Mrs. Frank Salmond, is the only surviving member of the family, Mr. Collins having died some ten years ago. Mrs. H. L. Halladay, a niece of the deceased, and Mr. Fred Perry, a nephew, are the only relatives residing in this community. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon from the Methodist church, with Rev. H. T. Strong in charge, and interment was made in Choteau cemetery beside the grave of Mr. Collins. Messrs. J. W. Ward, A. C. Burbank, E. J. Osgood, George F. Miller, J. R. Young and Henry Radcliffe, all old neighbors of the Belleview country, acted as pall bearers. Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Sawyer, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attended the funeral, Mrs. Sawyer being a niece of the deceased. The death of Mrs. Collins removes from the community a leading representative of the class of men and women who have helped to make the West what it is. The number of real pioneers is small and fast decreasing. Mrs. Collins had the distinction of being the first white woman to settle in the Teton valley, and her daughter was the first white child to be born in Choteau. Practically her whole life was spent on the frontier. Born in 1844, at Rockford, Illinois, she moved with her parents to the territory which now makes up the state of Iowa, when she was ten years old. In a short time her father moved on to Pike's Peak country with those hardy adventurers who went there in quest of gold. The journey required six weeks from the Platte River to what is now Denver, then but a small settlement of a few cabins. With her father she went a little later to the Mexican country, attracted by reports of rich gold fields. Returning to Denver, she lost her father, and a little later her mother, and then made her home with her brothers. In all, she made twelve trips between the Missouri river and Rocky Mountain points. The last of these brought her by way of the Bozeman cut-off into Montana (1863). For a while she was at Virginia City and Bannack and later to Last Chance, or Helena, as it was called after it became a settled community. In 1874, she was married to Mr. Nat Collins, who was engaged in mining, but who later went into the livestock business and in 1884 came to the Teton valley, living for many years on Willow Creek, about twenty miles west of Choteau. Mrs. Collins was herself actively engaged in raising and marketing livestock and was sometimes known as the Montana Cattle Queen. Retiring later from the livestock business, Mr. and Mrs. Collins moved to Choteau and from this point Mrs. Collins engaged in mining for a while in the Lake McDonald country. When the rush for the Alaska fields came, Mrs. Collins joined it and made a trip to that country. In later years, she spent a part of her winters in California, after the death of Mr. Collins. Her life is the record of great energy and great ambition, a record of the indomitable will of the true pioneer. The events and places of which she was a part are full of interest for the student of Montana history in particular. She knew the early people by living among and by association with them in the Society of Montana Pioneers, of which she was a prominent member. Virginia City, Last Chance, Bannack, the military forts like Fort Reno and Fort Smith, she saw and knew. The prominent men and women among the pioneers were her neighbors and her friends. The stirring events in connection with the Vigilantes were not matters of history with her, but rather matters of direct knowledge and experience. Adventure and hardship held a large place in her life. She knew and understood the Indians and in her earlier life was among them almost daily. In short, Elizabeth Smith, lived the life of a pioneer with all its struggle and hardship and helped make possible the easier conditions which we enjoy today. Her life was a long one, and eventful. She lived fully and found life in many ways worth while, but she was not unwilling, when her time came, to pass on to the next great frontier, beyond the Divide. She was actively interested in the churches of Choteau, in its schools and in community interests in general. While her health permitted, she took part in all these things, speaking and working and doing much to promote them.
•Elizabeth M. Smith married Nathaniel Collins in Sieben, Lewis and Clark County, Montana Territory on December 31, 1874. She was the daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Wood) Smith.
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